JUNIA Magazine Issue 02
A Magazine for women about faith, miracles and how to live the Christian life today. Encouragement, Inspiration and Links to Resources.
A Magazine for women about faith, miracles and how to live the Christian life today. Encouragement, Inspiration and Links to Resources.
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English Edition<br />
<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>02</strong><br />
MAGAZINE<br />
THE<br />
WONDERFUL<br />
EYES<br />
WWW.<strong>JUNIA</strong>MAGAZINE.COM<br />
FB.COM/<strong>JUNIA</strong>MAGAZINE<br />
INSTAGRAM.COM/<strong>JUNIA</strong>MAGAZINE<br />
EDITOR´S VOICE<br />
THE POWER OF<br />
FORGIVENESS<br />
WHO IS<br />
JESUS?<br />
SPEAK TO<br />
YOUR SOUL
<strong>02</strong><br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
Content<br />
PAGE 04 PAGE 20<br />
Inspiration Video - Lauren Daigle -<br />
You Say<br />
PAGE 05<br />
Editor´s Letter<br />
PAGE 21<br />
Inspiration<br />
PAGE 06<br />
The Wonderful Eyes PAGE 22<br />
The Power of Forgiveness<br />
PAGE 10<br />
Who is Jesus? He is the PAGE 26<br />
Son of God.<br />
Speak to your Soul<br />
PAGE 13<br />
Inspiration<br />
PAGE 14<br />
Contending Prayer<br />
PAGE 28<br />
Video - The Chosen<br />
PAGE 30<br />
Prayer of Salvation<br />
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER UNSPLASH.COM/@KHALIDBOUTCHICH
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
03<br />
- RESOURCES -<br />
lifeaudio.com<br />
A new podcasting<br />
platform dedicated<br />
to bringing you<br />
engaging Christian<br />
content.<br />
iBelieve.com<br />
Daily devotions for women,<br />
blogs by Christian female<br />
bloggers, articles on faith,<br />
relationships...
04<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
INSPIRATION<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER UNSPLASH.COM/@SINCERELYMEDIA<br />
OPTIMISM IS THE FAITH THAT<br />
LEADS TO ACHIEVEMENT.<br />
— HELEN KELLER
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
05<br />
Editor’s Letter<br />
You are invited<br />
to experience Joy<br />
and Peace!<br />
In this issue you<br />
are getting clues<br />
how to feel joy<br />
and peace even if<br />
your circumstances are tough and<br />
you don´t know the future.<br />
First of all: There is a special thing<br />
with the personal relationship with<br />
Jesus. The Life Story of Maryam<br />
on page 6 tells us, that whatever<br />
may happen in our lifes, there is<br />
power and peace in the personal<br />
experience of Jesus Christ. He<br />
is the Saviour who can transform<br />
everything.<br />
Lynn Jarman is writing on page 10<br />
about how dearly God loves us and<br />
has shown that in sending Jesus to<br />
take away all our sins.<br />
As a Christian you are not free<br />
from different bad circumstances.<br />
As humans we experience things<br />
in our lives that can make us<br />
discouraged and in despair.<br />
I want to point to some things that<br />
can help you live in victory.<br />
You are invited by God to always<br />
live in forgiveness. Forgiveness<br />
sets the soul free and removes<br />
fear. That is why it is such a<br />
powerful weapon.<br />
Prayer is your powerful weapon<br />
as a Christian. Carol Madison<br />
writes about how you can contend<br />
in prayer and change situations.<br />
(Page 14).<br />
When we meet David in the Psalms<br />
he is teaching about the need to<br />
talk to ourselves about God´s<br />
goodness and faithfulness. Anita<br />
Barker Andersen is writing about<br />
that on page 26.<br />
Blessings!<br />
Marie Arnfjell<br />
Editor in Chief
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<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
HOT STORY<br />
The Wonderful Eyes<br />
By Anita Barker Andersen<br />
IMAGE BY FALCO FROM PIXABAY
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
07<br />
Maryam, a young artist from Iran, often<br />
wondered who God was and what the meaning<br />
of her life was. One day, in Tehran, she walked<br />
by an Armenian church with an open door. Being<br />
curious, she walked in.<br />
ANITA BARKER<br />
ANDERSEN TRAVELS<br />
AND SPEAKS<br />
INTERNATIONALLY<br />
AT WOMEN’S<br />
CONFERENCES AND<br />
GLOBAL VENUES.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE<br />
“I saw pictures of Jesus. They were so beautiful,<br />
His kind eyes made me feel warm inside, but I<br />
didn’t know anything about who He was.<br />
A woman came up to me and asked me to<br />
leave. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t stay, and<br />
cried all the way home.”<br />
The night after Maryam’s visit to the church she<br />
had a strange dream.<br />
“I dreamt I met Jesus. I recognized him from<br />
the pictures in the church. He was wea ring<br />
white clothes and had fantastic eyes that looked<br />
straight at me.<br />
He took my hand and we walked to the<br />
mountains. I was cold but Jesus lit a fire that<br />
warmed me. We sat and talked, face to face.<br />
I don’t remember his words, just his beautiful<br />
deep eyes that looked at me with so much love.<br />
When I woke up I just cried. I wanted to get to<br />
know Jesus even more. Something happened<br />
in my heart and my eyes were opened. I knew<br />
God lived inside of me and it was as if I saw God<br />
everywhere.<br />
I knew God loved me and He was always with<br />
me. I changed as a person and I felt free.”
08<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
Maryam’s family had a hard time<br />
under standing her transformation,<br />
believing that she must be wrong<br />
and no one could speak to God<br />
the way she said she did. Maryam<br />
knew she was in the right place,<br />
and one day she got to experience<br />
a miracle.<br />
“I broke my leg and three doctors<br />
said I had to undergo surgery.<br />
However, I didn’t want my family<br />
to have to pay for the surgery and<br />
take care of me afterwards, so I<br />
prayed to God and he heard me.<br />
In the middle of the night I woke<br />
up and saw two men sitting by<br />
my feet. At first I was scared and I<br />
couldn’t move but then I became<br />
calm and went back to sleep<br />
Nobody believed my story but<br />
when the doctors took new x-rays<br />
of my leg it turned out the broken<br />
leg was fixed and there was no<br />
need for surgery anymore.<br />
The doctor was surprised but<br />
I just cried with joy and thanked<br />
God.”<br />
Maryam married a pilot named<br />
Kamyar, but due to the political<br />
situation that developed in<br />
Iran, they were forced to flee to<br />
Sweden, where they soon had<br />
contact with several christians.<br />
Kamyar discovered that these<br />
Christians had something he was<br />
missing, and had been searching<br />
for.<br />
“I prayed to Jesus, and<br />
something new happened inside of<br />
me; I accepted Him as my personal<br />
Saviour and now I read the Bible<br />
as often as I can.<br />
It has completely changed my<br />
thoughts, my will and my lifestyle.”<br />
Although the future is very<br />
uncertain, they are still secure<br />
in their faith. Regardless of what<br />
might happen, they know Jesus is<br />
with them.<br />
Maryam and Kamyar want all to<br />
know: “We know God has a plan<br />
for us, and we want to follow His<br />
will.”<br />
From A New Life by<br />
Anita Barker Andersen
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
09<br />
- RESOURCES -<br />
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Find an Alpha near you:<br />
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10<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
CHRONICLE<br />
WHO IS JESUS? HE IS THE SON OF GOD.<br />
By Lynn Jarman<br />
LYNN JARMAN<br />
LIVES WITH HER<br />
HUSBAND JIM IN<br />
STOCKHOLM. THEY<br />
ARE MULTIPLICATION<br />
CATALYSTS FOR<br />
CHURCH PLANTING.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
JIM JARMAN<br />
“The Son is the radiance of<br />
God’s glory and the exact<br />
representation of his being….”<br />
(Hebrews 1:3).<br />
Newborn babies are amazing<br />
to see, so tiny and delicate. After<br />
nine long months of pregnancy,<br />
the joyful moment comes, and the<br />
child arrives. Family and friends<br />
gather around the baby carefully<br />
examining this tiny new person.<br />
One says, “Oh look, she has<br />
her father’s eyes” and another<br />
exclaims “I see he has his mother’s<br />
dark hair.” We look for a family<br />
resemblance. As the child grows,<br />
we notice that he is good at<br />
building things or she has an ear<br />
for music. Each child reflects some<br />
traits, talents and characteristics of<br />
his family.<br />
Jesus is not only Immanuel, God<br />
with us – he is also referred to as<br />
the Son of God, a part of the triune<br />
eternal Godhead. As such, he<br />
reflects the image of his heavenly<br />
heritage. Once, when Philip,<br />
one of Jesus’ disciples, asked to<br />
see God the Father, Jesus told<br />
him, “Whoever has seen me has
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
11<br />
seen the Father” (John 14:9). The<br />
miracle of the virgin birth is “Unto<br />
us a child is born, unto us a son is<br />
given” (Isaiah 9:6).<br />
What an amazing transition it<br />
must have been for Jesus to leave<br />
heaven and become a human baby<br />
born to earthly parents, for the<br />
Creator to become one who was<br />
created.<br />
Have you ever moved to a new<br />
location and said “Goodbye” to<br />
friends, family and familiar places?<br />
Have you ever struggled to accept<br />
something new, a change in your<br />
life? We all have, haven’t we?<br />
Change is hard. Leaving behind<br />
a place or situation to embrace<br />
a new one can be incredibly<br />
challenging for us.<br />
Seven years ago, my husband and<br />
I moved to Sweden to help plant<br />
churches. We were excited, yet<br />
wondering how life would be for<br />
us in a new culture and place. We<br />
knew that God had asked us to go,<br />
but we didn’t know what to expect.<br />
We would be leaving behind family,<br />
our culture and our comfort zone.<br />
There would be a lot of work and<br />
preparation before we could go.<br />
There was a house to sell, our<br />
possessions to be given away and<br />
visas to obtain. God was asking us<br />
to walk by faith, to be obedient and<br />
to trust him.<br />
The challenge of faith is that we<br />
don’t always know what lies ahead<br />
when we step out. We must have<br />
faith and trust that God has a plan<br />
and that He knows what is best.<br />
Jesus is part of the Godhead but<br />
he is also the Son of God – and in<br />
this role he was submissive to the<br />
will of God the Father. He agreed<br />
to come to earth and be born as a<br />
human baby. His time on earth fully
demonstrated to us how dearly<br />
the Father loves each of us. Jesus<br />
trusted His heavenly Father and<br />
was obedient to do all that the<br />
Father told him to do.<br />
Jesus gave his life for our sins<br />
and he victoriously rose from<br />
death to life. Jesus was willing to<br />
leave his comfort zone of heaven<br />
and come to earth to live among<br />
us and accomplish all that Father<br />
asked him to do.<br />
“GOD DEARLY LOVES EACH OF US. IF<br />
WE WILL ASK HIM, HE WILL GUIDE US<br />
AND HELP US AS WE WALK THROUGH<br />
ALL THE CHANGES AND CHALLENGES<br />
IN LIFE.”<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER UNSPLASH.COM/<br />
@JOSHUA_YU<br />
Today, as a daughter of the King,<br />
my heart’s desire is to do what<br />
God the Father asks me to do. I<br />
want to be like Jesus. I want to<br />
walk closely with God and trust<br />
Him for the places in my life where<br />
I don’t know what lies ahead.<br />
God dearly loves each of us. If<br />
we will ask him, he will guide us<br />
and help us as we walk through all<br />
the changes and challenges in life.<br />
Will you walk with me as we follow<br />
Him together?<br />
“It is no longer I who live, but<br />
Christ who lives in me” (Galatians<br />
2:20).
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
13<br />
INSPIRATION<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER JUMPSTORY.COM<br />
JOY IS THE SERIOUS BUSINESS OF HEAVEN.<br />
– C. S. LEWIS<br />
YOU CAN GO THROUGH LIFE AND FEEL STRESS AND<br />
ANXIETY ALL THE TIME. WHEN YOU GET A NEW LIFE<br />
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, YOU START TO FEEL JOY IN<br />
YOUR INNERMOST BEING.
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<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
PRAYER<br />
Contending in Prayer<br />
By Carol Madison<br />
Are you willing to contend for it? I sensed the<br />
Lord posing this question when I discovered<br />
I lost my chance at buying a new town home.<br />
I had persistently prayed for God’s favor<br />
regarding this home, but now the Lord was<br />
inviting me to a new level of intercession - that<br />
of contending.<br />
CAROL MADISON IS<br />
THE EDITOR OF PRAYER<br />
CONNECT MAGAZINE AND<br />
THE AUTHOR OF PRAYER<br />
THAT’S CAUGHT AND<br />
TAUGHT: MENTORING THE<br />
NEXT GENERATION.<br />
SHE HAS SERVED AS THE<br />
PRAYER COORDINATOR<br />
FOR LARGE CHRISTIAN<br />
GATHERINGS IN MAJOR<br />
USA CITIES AND OFTEN<br />
PLACES HERSELF<br />
UNDERNEATH THE STAGE<br />
ON HER KNEES WHILE<br />
THE SPEAKER IS SHARING<br />
THE GOSPEL ABOVE HER.<br />
This was an unusual home-buying situation.<br />
I was interested in this particular town home<br />
for one reason: obedience to God. I didn’t<br />
necessarily want to move, as I was content with<br />
my current home. But several months earlier<br />
God directed me to this town home for a unique<br />
prayer assignment, and so I was willing to move.<br />
Situated on a hill, this town home has the best<br />
view over a community in Minnesota. The deck<br />
extends out with an unobstructed view over<br />
the downtown and other key places in the city.<br />
The third-story windows give an even higher<br />
perspective. God was inviting me to a special<br />
place of intercession on behalf of the people of<br />
this community.<br />
However, when I first felt led to the home, it<br />
was not for sale. Yet I felt strongly I was to live
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
15<br />
in this specific town home. Other homes in<br />
the complex came up for sale, but I chose<br />
not to look at them. The Lord placed the<br />
prayer assignment and this home deep<br />
within my heart. So for months I drove by<br />
the town home, praying and asking the<br />
Lord to make a way for me to buy it.<br />
“I PLEADED WITH GOD TO SHOW<br />
HIMSELF POWERFUL.”<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER UNSPLASH.COM/<br />
@BENWHITEPHOTOGRAPHY<br />
One day as I pulled up in front of the<br />
home to pray, I discover that that it was<br />
on the market! I called my real estate<br />
agent, only to learn with quick dismay<br />
that another offer on the home had been<br />
accepted and the sale was pending only a<br />
final inspection. Suddenly the home that I<br />
was praying and waiting for was gone.<br />
I was devastated and expressed my<br />
disappointment to the Lord. That’s when I<br />
heard Him say, “Are you willing to contend<br />
for it?” I answered, “Yes,” not knowing what<br />
that meant. But for the next few days, I<br />
was quickly mentored by the Lord in true<br />
contending in prayer for His Kingdom<br />
purposes.<br />
“IF GOD CALLS YOU TO CONTEND<br />
IN PRAYER FOR CERTAIN<br />
SITUATIONS, YOU CAN TRUST<br />
THAT HE HAS A GREATER<br />
PURPOSE.”<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER UNSPLASH.COM/<br />
@PRISCILLADUPREEZ<br />
Contending for Strategic Territory<br />
I had persisted in prayer for many months,<br />
asking God to give me the town home. I<br />
was reminded of the “persistent widow”<br />
story of Luke 18, in which the widow<br />
pursues the judge over and over again,
16<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
continuing past the normal or<br />
expected time .1 Jesus praises this<br />
kind of repetition in prayer by<br />
telling the disciples to “always pray<br />
and not give up” (vs. 1).<br />
In the same way, I asked the Lord<br />
over and over again for the town<br />
home - and then I waited. But now<br />
that I had clearly lost the town<br />
home to someone else, I felt the<br />
Lord inviting me to a whole new<br />
level of prayer.<br />
The idea of contending was<br />
new to me. Somehow it seems<br />
different; more strategic, desperate,<br />
and urgent. Jude uses the term<br />
“contend” (vs. 3) when he urges<br />
believers to “contend for the faith.”<br />
This contending admonition refers<br />
to an intense effort in a wrestling<br />
match. 2 Watching a wrestling<br />
match gives a very vivid picture of<br />
contending, as there is an ongoing<br />
struggle to maintain control or<br />
victory over an opponent. Neither<br />
participant is willing to give up until<br />
one is clearly pinned or defeated.<br />
Another definition of contend has<br />
the idea of “striving against a rivalry<br />
or contending with an enemy<br />
for the control of a port.” 3 That<br />
summed up how I felt in my prayers<br />
- that I was wrestling with spiritual<br />
powers in a battle over strategic<br />
land and a desperate community.<br />
For whatever God’s reasoning,<br />
this town home and its location<br />
were important. (Just across the<br />
road from the town home is the<br />
international headquarters for a cult<br />
organization; I knew this was part<br />
of my prayer assignment.) Long ago<br />
God determined this was the place<br />
that I should live and pray on behalf<br />
of the city.<br />
A QUICK CONTENDING LESSON<br />
With greater understanding<br />
that I was involved in a spiritual<br />
battle, I began to fast and pray<br />
continuously. When I was in my car,<br />
I prayed. I turned off my television<br />
at home and prayed. I prayed as I<br />
fell asleep, and immediately when I<br />
woke up.<br />
I was consumed moment by<br />
moment in desperate prayer.<br />
Through a daily e-mail updates,<br />
I invited family and friends to<br />
contend in prayer with me.
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
17<br />
My fervent prayer wasn’t because<br />
I wanted to a new home. This was<br />
about God’s Kingdom purposes<br />
and His glory! I was suddenly<br />
passionate for God to demonstrate<br />
Himself in a way that no one could<br />
deny. I prayed every way the Lord<br />
put on my heart, including spiritual<br />
warfare prayers, agonizing prayers<br />
with tears, and prayers modeled<br />
after biblical giants of the faith.<br />
I pleaded with God to show<br />
Himself powerful. Using Elijah’s<br />
prayer when he confronted the<br />
prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18, I<br />
implored God to answer in such a<br />
way that people would know that<br />
He was at work in this. “Answer<br />
me, O LORD, answer me, so these<br />
people will know you, O LORD, are<br />
God, and that you are turning their<br />
hearts back again” (vs. 37).<br />
STOP CONTENDING<br />
At the three-day mark of fasting<br />
and praying, these words suddenly<br />
flashed through my mind: “It’s<br />
over. Stop contending and start<br />
worshiping Me with praise and<br />
thanksgiving.” I was skeptical that<br />
I was hearing the Lord. Again, the<br />
same words whispered through my<br />
spirit. I asked the Lord to confirm in<br />
His Word that He was speaking to<br />
me.<br />
I opened my Bible “randomly,” and<br />
it fell open to Exodus 33:17, where<br />
God said to Moses: “I will indeed do<br />
what you have asked, for you have<br />
found favor with me, and you are<br />
my friend” (NLT). A peace rushed<br />
through my soul, and I knew that<br />
God had done it. The victory had<br />
come.<br />
Less than an hour later, my agent<br />
called to say that we actually had<br />
a “long shot” at getting the town<br />
home because of a minor problem<br />
with the home inspection. The<br />
garbage disposal was too loud, but<br />
the sellers were refusing to deal<br />
with the current buyer over that<br />
little issue.<br />
Eventually, to the surprise of<br />
everyone, the buyer defaulted over<br />
that insignificant problem - and<br />
the town home was mine. And just<br />
to add to God’s favor, the sellers<br />
replaced the garbage disposal for<br />
me, without my even asking!
18<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
YES, GOD WAS IN IT!<br />
At the closing, I asked God for an<br />
opportunity to tell my story to the<br />
unsuspecting sellers. I cautiously<br />
shared that I had prayed for months<br />
about their town home. I told them<br />
I believed God was calling me to<br />
pray over the city from that vantage<br />
point.<br />
Their response confirmed that I<br />
had heard the Lord correctly. The<br />
wife exclaimed in astonishment:<br />
“We had no intention of moving,<br />
but one day I woke up and told my<br />
husband, ‘We have to move!’<br />
We had just finished redecorating<br />
the home, but I felt an urgency to<br />
move. In fact, we put the house<br />
on the market that day, and then<br />
bought the first house we looked<br />
at!”<br />
Everyone, including our agents,<br />
sat stunned for a moment. Then<br />
the sellers’ agent spoke for all of us<br />
when she said, “I had no idea I was<br />
a part of something so big.”<br />
FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST<br />
God taught me a lesson in<br />
contending prayer. There are times<br />
to pray steadily and faithfully with<br />
persistence, but there are other<br />
times when God stirs within us<br />
a passion to contend as though<br />
Jesus’ name and glory are at stake.<br />
More and more challenges<br />
are facing believers, churches,<br />
and even our nation. We are<br />
increasingly aware that intense<br />
spiritual battles are confronting us.<br />
Greater urgency and determination<br />
rise up in us as we pray: “Not my<br />
child; not my family; I will not give<br />
in to Satan’s scorn and destruction<br />
intended for my church!” By<br />
contending, we are assuring God<br />
that we will not accept the current<br />
circumstances without a heart-felt<br />
fight!<br />
If your heart is broken over a<br />
seemingly hopeless situation, ask<br />
the Lord if you are to “contend”<br />
over it. If God responds by stirring<br />
within you a passion to contend in<br />
prayer for a specific circumstance<br />
(a devastated marriage, a friend<br />
with a hardened heart, a child in<br />
rebellion), know that there is no<br />
“textbook contending.” This cry of<br />
your soul, this desperate longing
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
19<br />
for spiritual victory, must be done<br />
with a humble heart that is willing to<br />
be guided by the Holy Spirit.<br />
A GOOD RISK!<br />
When it comes to contending in<br />
prayer and desperately wanting<br />
Christ’s glory demonstrated to all,<br />
the risk is worth the investment<br />
of your heart and soul! A wrestler<br />
does not approach the mat with the<br />
thought of simply forfeiting because<br />
he thinks he is overmatched<br />
and might lose. He brings all his<br />
training, strength, and heart to the<br />
match with the hope that he can<br />
overcome his opponent.<br />
In the same way, by contending<br />
we are calling upon God to<br />
release His power and resources<br />
to overcome any opposition. The<br />
outcome rests with the Lord, but<br />
His invitation always stands: And<br />
will not God bring about justice for<br />
his chosen ones, who cry out to him<br />
day and night? (Luke 18:7).<br />
For the past five years I have<br />
prayed - with the best view over<br />
the city. For long as God keeps me<br />
here, I will faithfully pray for revival<br />
and spiritual awakening of my<br />
community. Often I pray by myself,<br />
other times people join me in my<br />
living room or prayer walk with me.<br />
If God calls you to contend in<br />
prayer for certain situations, you<br />
can trust that He has a greater<br />
purpose. You can also trust Him to<br />
teach you how to be faithful to that<br />
call. He just needs to know that you<br />
are willing to contend for it!<br />
***<br />
1. “persist.” Merriam-Webster Online<br />
Dictionary. 2008.<br />
2. NIV Bible Commentary, Vol. 2:<br />
New Testament, Kenneth Barker<br />
and John R. Kolenberger III,<br />
consulting editors. Zondervan,<br />
1994, pg. 1120.<br />
3. “contend.” Dictionary.com<br />
Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House,<br />
Inc. 24 Nov. 2008.
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<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
LAUREN DAIGLE - YOU SAY<br />
The official music video for Lauren Daigle’s new single “You Say” from<br />
her album, Look Up Child<br />
“You Say” resonates with many people on many levels. Know that you<br />
are loved. You are not alone. If you are struggling with thoughts of<br />
suicide there is hope and there is help. The National Suicide Prevention<br />
Lifeline is available 24/7 and all calls are free and confidential. Call<br />
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
21<br />
INSPIRATION<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER JUMPSTORY.COM<br />
THE VALLEYS ARE NECESSARY FOR US TO GROW UP IN<br />
THE LORD.<br />
– CRYSTAL MCDOWELL
22<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
EDITOR´S VOICE<br />
THE POWER OF<br />
FORGIVENESS<br />
By Marie Arnfjell<br />
“Forgiveness sets the soul free<br />
and removes fear. “<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER © UNSPLASH.COM/@FUUJ
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
23<br />
As a parent, we do everything we can to<br />
teach our children to forgive. But as a child,<br />
it is not easy to fully understand that one<br />
should forgive, especially when it is not<br />
one’s own fault.<br />
MARIE ARNFJELL IS<br />
THE EDITOR IN CHIEF<br />
FOR <strong>JUNIA</strong> AND<br />
THE FOUNDER OF<br />
THE ORGANIZATION<br />
SISTERS<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
FRIDA FUNEMYR<br />
I have memories of such situations from<br />
when I was a child and went to school.<br />
I was a girl who liked the fact that there<br />
were messy things happening, both in the<br />
classroom and on the breaks. It sometimes<br />
meant that I got harsh corrections from the<br />
teacher and had to ask for forgiveness, even<br />
though I wasn’t always the one to blame.<br />
But the years went by and I began<br />
to understand that there was power, a<br />
liberating force, in the word “forgive”.<br />
Forgiveness sets the soul free and removes<br />
fear. That is why it is such a powerful<br />
weapon. Nelson Mandela said: “As I walked<br />
out the door to the gate that led to my<br />
freedom, I knew that if I did not leave my<br />
bitterness and hatred behind me, I would<br />
still be in prison.”<br />
Being able to forgive other people is a<br />
liberation, both for yourself and for the one<br />
who is forgiven. When someone has done<br />
wrong, it is natural to feel hurt, disappointed<br />
and angry. But if one cannot forget and
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<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
forgive what has happened, it is<br />
easy for the disappointment to<br />
eventually turn into bitterness.<br />
A bitter person devotes so much<br />
energy to feel sorry for herself, and<br />
also dislikes the person who has<br />
wronged her, that it is difficult to<br />
think of anything else.<br />
Everyday life is easily filled by<br />
self-pity and the self is at the center<br />
and for those who are not forgiven,<br />
bitterness is not easy to live with.<br />
I think forgiveness is basically a<br />
decision of will, a conscious choice.<br />
How many times have you heard<br />
it said in the media and among<br />
friends that “a lot I can forgive but<br />
not this” or “oh, there is nothing to<br />
forgive, over time it will be fine”. You<br />
feel that you have the right to feel<br />
sorry for yourself and to blame the<br />
other.<br />
Of course we have the right to feel<br />
disappointed and hurt. But we, on<br />
the other hand, have no right to<br />
bind people by not forgiving them.<br />
It can be very difficult to forgive.<br />
You may decide to forgive and try<br />
to forget, but the emotions say<br />
something different and you think<br />
you have not been able to forgive.<br />
Once you realize that forgiving is a<br />
decision, not a feeling, I think it can<br />
be easier to forgive. Not so simple,<br />
but once that happens, the future<br />
changes.<br />
Today I am so grateful that I<br />
learned early on “the power<br />
of forgiveness”. When we hold<br />
unforgiveness in our hearts and<br />
minds, it destroys our boldness,<br />
destroys our relationships and<br />
causes us to stay in the past.<br />
All of this is something I don’t<br />
think any of us want to live with.<br />
We take life for granted and<br />
do not always treat each other<br />
lovingly. We all must learn to live<br />
with humility in the face of life’s<br />
limitations and our own power and<br />
ability.<br />
The feeling of forgiveness<br />
brings peace, uprightness and<br />
courage and we can all learn the<br />
art of forgiveness. Also the art of<br />
being forgiven, which is of great<br />
importance in our relationships.
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
25<br />
The freedom of forgiveness<br />
means a direction toward God, in<br />
the direction of oneself and in the<br />
direction of one who is near you.<br />
Don’t let the past steal your future.<br />
God has made it possible for all<br />
of us to both receive and give<br />
forgiveness. The choice lies with<br />
you.<br />
Blessings<br />
Marie Arnfjell<br />
Editor in Chief <strong>JUNIA</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
- RESOURCES -<br />
The YouVersion Bible App’s<br />
interface is available in more<br />
than 60 languages, allowing<br />
people to: Read the Bible or<br />
let the Audio versions read the<br />
Bible to you.
26<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
ENCOURAGEMENT<br />
Speak to your soul<br />
By Anita Barker Andersen<br />
King David spoke to his soul and encouraged<br />
himself to praise the Lord, thank Him and<br />
think about all the good that He had done,<br />
as seen in Psalm 103:2-5.<br />
ANITA BARKER<br />
ANDERSEN TRAVELS<br />
AND SPEAKS<br />
INTERNATIONALLY<br />
AT WOMEN’S<br />
CONFERENCES AND<br />
GLOBAL VENUES.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER <strong>JUNIA</strong><br />
MAGAZINE<br />
The soul does not do this automatically,<br />
because it would naturally like to think about<br />
the problems and the things with which it is<br />
afflicted. You need to steer the soul in the right<br />
direction.<br />
In Ecclesiastes 3:18-20 we have a very good<br />
description of the soul’s unreliability. After<br />
having accused God of all his problems, the<br />
author says, “So I say, my splendour is gone<br />
and all that I had hoped from the LORD. I<br />
remember my affliction and my wandering, the<br />
bitterness and the gall. I well remember them,<br />
and my soul is downcast within me”.<br />
No wonder he was downcast if that was all he<br />
thought about all the time!<br />
But he reconsidered, and continued by<br />
saying in verses 21-26: “Yet this I call to mind<br />
and therefore I have hope: Because of the<br />
LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for<br />
his compassions never fail. They are new every
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
27<br />
morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to<br />
myself, The LORD is my portion; therefore<br />
I will wait for him. The LORD is good to<br />
those whose hope is in him, to the one<br />
who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for<br />
the salvation of the LORD.”<br />
Psalm 42:11 says, “Why are you<br />
downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed<br />
within me? Put your hope in God, for I will<br />
yet praise him, my Saviour and my God”.<br />
“WE, TOO, NEED TO SPEAK TO<br />
OUR SOUL, TO ENCOURAGE<br />
OURSELVES TO THANK AND<br />
PRAISE GOD AND TO THINK<br />
ABOUT HIS GOODNESS.”<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER UNSPLASH.COM/<br />
@JASMINNB<br />
We, too, need to speak to our soul, to<br />
encourage ourselves to thank and praise<br />
God and to think about His goodness.<br />
Keep a journal and write down all the<br />
good the Lord does or says, Bible verses<br />
which become alive to you, and so on. You<br />
can then bring out the journal when things<br />
are difficult and thank God for what He has<br />
done!<br />
King David said in Psalm 103:2, “Praise<br />
the LORD, O my soul, and forget not allhis<br />
benefits…”.<br />
Anita Barker Andersen<br />
With permission from “The Way Out”
28<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
THE CHOSEN<br />
Jesus and the Outcast Woman at the Well<br />
From John 4 and episode 8 of The Chosen...<br />
Watch The Chosen on the free app: https://thechosen.tv/app<br />
Wear The Chosen and go deeper with study materials:<br />
https://thechosengifts.com
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
29<br />
- RESOURCES -<br />
Discover the moving stories of people<br />
that have been moved<br />
MyStory.me<br />
JesusForAll.info<br />
fb.com/jesusforall
30<br />
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
Prayer of<br />
Salvation<br />
YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION<br />
ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH<br />
ON THE FOLLOWING PLACES:<br />
SAT7PLUS.ORG<br />
YOUTUBE.COM/SAT7ARABIC<br />
JESUS.ORG<br />
JESUS.NET<br />
If you want to be a child<br />
of God, you can pray the<br />
following prayer. If English<br />
is not your native language,<br />
you can say the words in<br />
your own language:<br />
***<br />
Dear God, I am so sorry for<br />
the bad things I have done.<br />
I want to make peace with<br />
You. Please forgive me!<br />
Thank you, Jesus, for dying<br />
on the cross to pay for my<br />
sins, and then rising from<br />
the dead. Come into my<br />
heart today and let me be<br />
your Child. Thank you for<br />
eternal life in Heaven. I now<br />
commit my whole life to<br />
you. Jesus, I will follow you.<br />
Amen.
<strong>JUNIA</strong> MAGAZINE / ISSUE <strong>02</strong><br />
31<br />
- RESOURCES -<br />
www.silentnomoreawareness.org<br />
BibleStudyTools.com<br />
BibleStudyTools.com is<br />
the largest free online<br />
Bible website for verse<br />
search and in-depth<br />
studies.
God, grant me the serenity<br />
God, grant me the serenity to accept<br />
the things I cannot change,<br />
Courage to change the<br />
things I can, and the<br />
wisdom to know the difference.<br />
Living one day at a time;<br />
Enjoying one moment at a time;<br />
Accepting hardship<br />
as the pathway to peace.<br />
Taking, as He did,<br />
this sinful world as it is,<br />
not as I would have it.<br />
Trusting that He will make<br />
all things right if I<br />
surrender to His Will;<br />
That I may be reasonably happy<br />
in this life, and supremely happy<br />
with Him forever in the next.<br />
Amen